Chapter 271

Chapter 271

Su Molan held her breath and focused intently on Ning Yuzhou's every move, her heart pounding with anxiety.

After examining Iron Granny, Ning Yuzhou said, "Good news. Iron Granny's injuries have healed well enough for us to start the detoxification process."

Hearing his words, Su Molan finally exhaled deeply, her eyes shining with relief and joy, momentarily at a loss for words.

Iron Granny remained calm.

She had long since put life and death aside; if she died, it was fate; if she lived, it proved she was meant to survive, and she would make those who had wronged her pay dearly.

"Master Ning, how do we go about removing the poison? Do we need any special medicinal herbs?" Iron Granny asked.

Su Molan tensed up again. Although Ning Yuzhou said it could be done, she still didn't know how.

Moreover, they had never been able to identify the type of poison Iron Granny had endured over the years. Despite their efforts, nothing had worked, suggesting that an extremely rare antidote might be needed. Such a powerful antidote was beyond their reach.

Ning Yuzhou explained, "I examined your blood. The poison in your body is actually a kind of gu poison, though I'm not sure which one. The gu is dead, but the residual poison remains, preventing you from cultivating and gradually depleting your lifespan."

"Gu poison, so it's from the Demon Sect," Iron Granny said without surprise, a hint of regret in her expression.

Su Molan's expression stiffened slightly as she lowered her gaze, concealing her complex emotions.

The two seemed to recall something, their expressions differing.

Wen Qiao glanced at them, thinking about the misfortunes the Pleiades Valley had faced over the years. Neither the Demon Sect nor the righteous factions had ever truly cared for the valley.

They were all just different sides of the same coin.

At this moment, Ning Yuzhou took out a pill bottle and poured the elixir into a jade bowl.

The flawless jade bowl contrasted sharply with the black-and-white elixir inside.

Upon seeing the peculiar black-and-white elixir, both Iron Granny and Su Molan's attention shifted to it, their faces showing surprise.

Traditionally, elixirs were smooth and jade-like, the whiter the better, with fewer impurities. They had never seen an elixir with such strange colors before.

"Master Ning, what kind of elixir is this?" Su Molan couldn't help but ask.

"It's not an ordinary elixir; it's a True Pill," Ning Yuzhou briefly explained. "This is the Yin-Yang Rebirth True Pill, which can remove the poison from Iron Granny's body."

Su Molan no longer dwelled on the nature of the True Pill and looked at Iron Granny with hope, urging her to take it quickly.

After Iron Granny swallowed the Yin-Yang Rebirth True Pill, her face suddenly changed, and she spat out a mouthful of black blood.

"Granny!" Su Molan screamed.

Iron Granny convulsed and fell, caught by Su Molan, who felt her frail body turning cold. Her eyes welled up with tears.

Fortunately, Iron Granny's condition did not last long, and she soon regained her composure.

Her face was still very pale, but seeing Su Molan's panic, she rasped, "Don't worry, I feel much better..."

Ning Yuzhou stepped forward to examine Iron Granny and said, "It's fine. This is the residual poison leaving her body. It will cause some temporary harm, but with rest, she'll recover fully."

Hearing Ning Yuzhou's words, Su Molan gradually calmed down.

Iron Granny could feel the changes in her body. Though weak, she felt lighter than ever before. The poison that had always weighed her down and hindered her cultivation was now gone, allowing her to breathe easily.

Struggling to rise, Iron Granny wanted to thank Ning Yuzhou for saving her life.

"There's no need. As I said, this is a fair exchange," Ning Yuzhou said calmly. "You should focus on resting first."

Iron Granny nodded gratefully, even the scar on her face seeming less prominent.

Seeing there was nothing more to do, Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou left the quiet room where Iron Granny was resting, while Su Molan stayed behind to care for her.

As soon as they left the quiet room, Wen Qiao felt something clinging to her shoulder. She turned around but saw nothing except a faint whisper near her ear.

"Wen Sister, is Iron Granny better?"

Wen Qiao pursed her lips and nodded lightly.

Ning Yuzhou looked at her shoulder and led her back to the guest courtyard.

When they returned to the guest courtyard, the small child clinging to Wen Qiao's shoulder finally appeared, its translucent body hanging there weightlessly.

The guest courtyard at Chuyun Peak was arranged by Iron Granny for their rest. Out of respect, neither Iron Granny nor Su Molan would disturb them, knowing there were no outsiders here. Each time he came, the little spirit Su Xing would reveal himself without hiding.

Ning Yuzhou stared at the little spirit clinging to Wen Qiao's shoulder, thinking how these spirits always seemed to favor her, treating her like a precious treasure, which irked him as her husband.

He hadn't even hugged her constantly.

Little spirit Su Xing, unaware of Ning Yuzhou's annoyance, chattered away, asking about Iron Granny's condition.

Wen Qiao said, "With some more rest, she'll be completely recovered."

Su Xing puffed up his round face, feeling sad. Once Iron Granny recovered, they would leave the Pleiades Continent.

He wouldn't see Wen Sister again.

"We'll come visit you when we have the chance," Wen Qiao reached out to touch his head, though she couldn't actually feel it.

Su Xing rubbed his fluffy head against her hand, still feeling sad.

Seeing his face scrunched up, Wen Qiao changed the subject, "Su Xing, do you know which faction was responsible for destroying the Pleiades Valley back then?"

"I do," Su Xing replied. "The main force was the Demon Sect's cultivators, but the righteous factions were also involved. At the time, both sides joined forces. The righteous factions secretly sabotaged the Pleiades Valley's teleportation array, delaying their ability to seek help, allowing the demon cultivators to attack..."

For this outcome, Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou were not surprised.

Indeed, the righteous and demonic paths were opposed, but if there was a common interest, they could join forces and divide the spoils afterward. Over these years, Su Molan had been repeatedly told that the Demon Sect was the culprit behind the destruction of the Pleiades Valley, leading her to hate demonic cultivators deeply. However, she wasn't foolish and likely realized from the attitudes of the four major clans that they weren't innocent either.

This continent truly made one dislike it.

Su Xing also disliked the cultivators of the Pleiades Continent, mumbling, "The Su family has almost lost every generation's bloodline in fulfilling their ancient pact with me; it's quite pitiful. Unfortunately, now that I'm like this, I can't do much for them."

Speaking up to this point, he felt somewhat dejected.

Wen Qiao comforted him, "It's okay. Su Xing has already tried very hard. Once your body is restored, you might be able to do more things, and then make those people regret what they've done."

Su Xing nodded vigorously.

Although he was also worried that Su Molan might not be trustworthy, the Su family had fulfilled their duty as guardians over the years, protecting him from ancient times until now. Even if they had no merit, they had at least put in effort. Seeing the Su family's bloodline end up in such a state, he felt quite uncomfortable and distressed.

Who said that spirit treasures had to be cold and heartless?

From the moment a spirit treasure was born, it was already a complete life form, capable of experiencing emotions and having distinctions between good and evil, likes and dislikes.

He hated those greedy cultivators and feared that his weakness would lead to his forced destruction by those cultivators, preventing him from completing his task.

***

As Iron Granny's injuries improved, Wen Qiao suddenly noticed that Su Xing came to see her less often.

Previously, he would run to the guest courtyard before dawn, waiting for them to wake up. Now, sometimes he wouldn't appear for days.

One day, Su Xing suddenly ran to the pharmacy, saying mysteriously, "Big Brother Ning, Sister Wen, I'll take you to a great place."

Ning Yuzhou casually handed him a bottle of just-refined spirit pills, asking, "Where?"

Su Xing happily accepted the spirit pills, feeling that Sister Wen was right—Big Brother Ning was indeed a good person. He shouldn't fear Big Brother Ning due to instinctive reactions; perhaps his injuries were causing his senses to malfunction.

"Thank you, Big Brother Ning," Su Xing thanked Ning Yuzhou in a childlike voice. "You'll know where we're going once we get there."

Neither of them knew where the little spirit treasure was taking them, but neither refused.

After leaving the pharmacy, Su Xing hid himself, whispering directions in their ears to guide them.

Following Su Xing's instructions, they traversed most of the Pleiades Valley, taking very remote paths and avoiding any disciples. As a spirit treasure that had been in the Pleiades Valley since ancient times, there was nowhere in the valley he didn't know. Even Iron Granny likely didn't know the valley as well as he did.

After crossing another cloud peak, they arrived at a cliff edge, with mist swirling below and the sound of flowing water faintly audible.

Su Xing, perched on Wen Qiao's shoulder, said, "Go down from here."

Ning Yuzhou raised an eyebrow slightly, glancing at the revealed little spirit treasure. If he remembered correctly, the map of the Pleiades Valley marked this place as Cloud Shadow Pond, known only for its cold pool and nothing else, making it unremarkable to the valley's disciples.

They flew down using their swords.

Upon reaching the bottom, they saw a cold pool against the mountain wall, with a thin stream cascading down, resembling a ribbon pouring out of the clouds.

Su Xing pointed behind the cascading stream, "There's an entrance back there; you can enter through it."

An entrance?

Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou looked around but saw only a damp mountain wall, with no sign of an entrance.

"This is an illusion array," Ning Yuzhou remarked, intrigued by how realistic it was without any detectable fluctuations.

"Yes, there's a natural illusion array here, rarely known to anyone. Go in quickly," Su Xing said cheerfully.

They leaped over the pond, braving the cascading water, and reached out to touch the damp mountain wall. Their fingers moved inch by inch until they found that they could pass through the wall, confirming it was the entrance.

Wen Qiao led the way, entering first.

Ning Yuzhou smiled slightly and followed her in.

Upon passing through the entrance, thick mist enveloped them, carrying a peculiar power that invigorated their spirits.

This was the unique power of the Pleiades Valley's mist.

Looking around, they found themselves in a spacious cave, with endless mist surging from its depths, trapped within this world, constantly gathering and dispersing.

Su Xing said, "Cultivate here. Absorb as much as you can."

Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou understood this was his goodwill, hoping the mist would aid their cultivation. They looked at the half-transparent body of the little spirit treasure, sighing.

"Su Xing, thank you," Wen Qiao smiled. "Do you know where this mist comes from?"

Su Xing thought for a moment and said, "A cloud beast, nearly at the immortal realm, once fell here. After its death, its cultivation dissipated into the valley, forming perpetual mist. This mist contains the unique power laws of the cloud beast, greatly benefiting all living things."

Wen Qiao was stunned, thinking of the cloud beasts in the Pleiades Valley, and asked in confusion, "Aren't cloud beasts low-level beasts? The highest realm they can reach is only the seventh stage."

"Not surprising," Ning Yuzhou smiled. "Perhaps it was a mutated cloud beast, like Wen Tutoo."

Wen Qiao immediately understood. Mutations were rare for beasts, but once mutated, their rank and strength would increase, breaking their bloodline limitations. Cultivating and transforming into human form would be possible, let alone achieving the immortal realm.

Perhaps Wen Tutoo could ascend to the higher realms and achieve the immortal realm someday.

Knowing the origin of the Pleiades Valley's mist, Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou settled down to cultivate in the cave.

Time passed swiftly.

A month later, both opened their eyes.

Su Xing, who had been watching beside them, showed a delighted expression upon seeing them emerge from their cultivation.

Wen Qiao's eyes flickered with mist, her aura surging. Fearing she might harm Ning Yuzhou, she leaped out of the cave.

Zouxing looked somewhat dazedly at the disappearing figure of Chui, then turned to Ning Yuzhou. When he saw Ning Yuzhou's eyes, he was so frightened that he dared not move.

Those warm and gentle eyes had transformed into an abyss of impenetrable darkness, dark and sinister, sending chills down one’s spine.

In just a few breaths, those eyes quickly returned to their former warm and gentle state.

Zouxing stared at him blankly.

Ning Yuzhou lifted his long robe, his tall and elegant figure resembling a graceful orchid or jade tree. He stepped out of the cave with poise.

Zouxing followed him out in a daze.

After they left, they saw Wen Qiao, her body submerged in the cold spring.

She was completely soaked, her long hair flowing with the water. The aura emanating from her body had actually warmed the cold spring water, causing several cold-water fish living in it to flee due to the rising temperature.

Only after Wen Qiao's aura settled did it become clear that her cultivation had reached the middle stage of the Primordial Spirit Realm.

Wen Qiao leaped out of the cold spring, and by the time she landed on the shore, her clothes and hair were already dry, her long hair smoothly cascading down her back.

Seeing Ning Yuzhou, she said with a smile, "Husband, my cultivation has improved; I am now in the middle stage of the Primordial Spirit Realm."

Ning Yuzhou smiled warmly, "Chui, you’re amazing!"

Wen Qiao felt proud and looked at Ning Yuzhou with concern. When she realized he had already reached the early stage of the Primordial Spirit Realm, she was stunned.

Wen Qiao: "..."

She suspected that she had wasted her month of cultivation. Everyone had absorbed the mist together, yet how could he leap across a major realm while she only advanced a minor one?

Ning Yuzhou explained, "The mist in the Valley of Zouxing is indeed the condensed power of a celestial beast at the Immortal Realm. After refining some of it, I managed to break through to the Primordial Spirit Realm."

Zouxing glanced at him, hesitating to speak.

Ning Yuzhou casually tossed another bottle of spirit pills to him.

Thus, the small spirit immediately forgot about the earlier scene, thinking Ning Ge was truly a good person. He happily said, "This isn’t strange. The power of the cloud beast happens to match Ning Ge’s constitution, so he absorbed more energy than Sister Wen, allowing him to break through."

Wen Qiao was naturally delighted. Although she had always urged her husband to cultivate, she knew he had to nurture the space and also focus on auxiliary cultivation techniques, unlike her who could concentrate solely on cultivation. Therefore, his cultivation progress was slower than hers.

She never expected the power within the mist of the Valley of Zouxing to be so compatible with him, enabling him to break through to the Primordial Spirit Realm.

Wen Qiao exclaimed joyfully, "That’s great! Ning Ge’s space has expanded, and the Purifying Water Lotus can finally be planted somewhere other than a puddle."

Ning Yuzhou: "..." Is that all you can think about?